Artsite Artists

MEET THE ARTSITE ARTISTS

JACKSON HEIGHTS

Jimmy Ferguson

Between Neighbors: Jackson Heights explores the distance between the self and the other, and the delicate line between connection and disconnection in modern urbanity, within one neighborhood in this megalopolis.

The aesthetic is inspired by the tradition of black and white photojournalism that has documented the history of NYC by way of its subway passengers for over a century. The subway provides a fascinating study of the individuals comprising a neighborhood. Of particular note in Jackson Heights is the tremendous variety of cultures, languages, and faces.

In a neighborhood where its vastly varied citizens are in such close proximity, how do we interact with others? What is the delineation in space between the private and the public? By projecting our subway dynamics in large format on a building in the public space, I’m hoping to spark reflection, and ultimately engage neighbors and provoke a dialog between them. www.jwjfilms.com

Chemin Hsiao

Chemin Hsiao is a visual artist based in Queens, New York. His drawing/painting practice aims for capturing the personal emotions toward subjects or atmosphere via the elusive connections from memories with the medium of watercolor or acrylic pigments. He sits with plants, animals, people and its surroundings with time, moment by moment, let himself be unconsciously revealed from the process of painting, and hoping to build a connection with people by sharing deeper universal emotions through the action of painting. For the larger narrative paintings via acrylic pigments, he collected memorable events/emotions in particular locations and time frame in life, and wove them into an image that explains to him the meaning of that specific period of life. www.cheminart.com

Annabelle Popa

Annabelle Popa was born and raised in Jackson Heights, but now splits her time at her studio in Kingston, New York. She graduated with a BFA in Illustration at Parsons School of Design. Her fantasy worlds and strange creatures are inspired by nature and folklore; they are often allegories to communicate deeper meanings to viewers. She sees art as an exploration and adventure, and often it takes a life of its own by the end of the piece. She is merely a messenger who is able to peek into the vast unknown. www.annabellepopa.com

Yvonne Shortt

Ms. Shortt is a social practice installation artist who uses art as a catalyst for conversation and change in her community. Her projects range from collaboratively building a mobile design studio with 250 women to creating public sculptures in New York City Parks. Her public art can be found in many locations throughout Queens. Yvonneshortt.com

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JAMAICA

Jose Carlos Casado

Casado is an artist constantly positioning himself within the borders of a deliberately conflicted landscape. He presents a world in which sculptures, 3D animations, paintings and installations merge in series of artworks that explore the discomfort of ones own nature; a world that is infatuated with the duality of disaffection; a world that challenges notions of assumed reality. www.josecarloscasado.com

Kerri Edge

“I am an artist making sense of the world that I am a part of; I would like to leave a trace in forms that are felt and experienced for all people, now and for future generations. I am an artivist grappling with notions of memory and time, along with the role of African American-based dance rituals and body memory, through all of the senses, finding locations for where they intersect and create sensations of depth and wonder. " www.4LittleGirls.net

Jason Lalor

One of my earliest memories is, as a child barely able to walk, taking a crayon and drawing a line around the interior of my house’s freshly painted walls. Then, taking another crayon and repeating this process until my parents caught me. Since then, I have had a fascination with creating art based on my surroundings. Taking the time to reflect on the people and places around me is meditative and cathartic for me, and I aim to evoke that same connection to our neighbors and neighborhoods from people viewing my work. www.jasonlalor.com

Margaret Vendryes

Margaret Rose Vendryes is an artist, art historian, and curator with an established record of publications including Barthé, A Life in Sculpture (2008) and a multimedia studio practice inspired by African aesthetics and its intersection with black music and visual culture. She is currently Chair of Performing & Fine Arts and Director of the Fine Arts Gallery at York College, CUNY. www.margaretrosevendryes.com